Forceful Science
by WildHorseFantasy
Summary: Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka are hot on the trail of someone cloning Jedi.  But who is really after who?  Sequel to 'Growing Jedi'.  Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**No copyright infringement intended. Just a fan's overactive imagination. **

*** This is a sequel to "Growing Jedi" but hopefully will stand alone. ***

"So we picked up the trail of whoever hired that kaminoan to clone jedi?" Obi-Wan's voice was both determined and just a bit concerned. His arms were crossed over his chest.

"Apparently they figured ditching the ship would throw us off the scent. But the Force was with us. Fortunately, we had a team from the agri-corp there, unloading supplies at the same time. They had a couple of R5 units with them. They got these images." Master Windu's holo image relayed. "You made this discovery. You're the only ones close enough to deal with it. We're..."

"Stretched thin...as always."

The images flickered before Anakin and Obi-Wan. They shared a glance.

"Those are cloning tanks." Anakin noted.

"Occupied cloning tanks." Obi-Wan winced.

"Stang. They not only escaped with the data they escaped with some of the clones." Anakin glanced at Kenobi.

"But they aren't just running from us. They're running from everyone. Have to be. Both sides were hammering them, Separatists as well as us."

Master Windu broke into their concern. "We need you to find these people. Last location of the ship they transferred to is the moon Thejim 3. If someone out there is cloning jedi it could be a disaster, no matter which side they are on. We suspect they only stopped there to change ships. May the Force be with you." His image flickered out.

"Stang." Obi-Wan looked deeply unhappy. "Clones of me and Qui-Gon and other knights we've known. For all we know there may be others. Even if they are sane, what do we do with them?"

"I suppose it's too late to turn them into real jedi?" Anakin was serious. "They may be infants."

"I doubt that. Look at the size of the tanks and if there is growth acceleration. Here in this one..." he motioned to the holo, "you see enough to tell it's a young man..." He squinted.

"We found out where the jedi cloner went?" Ahsoka's voice, so close behind them, made them both jump. She stepped back.

"Ahsoka! Don't do that." Anakin yelped.

She put her hand to herself, hiding a smile. "Aren't jedi supposed to always be aware?"

Anakin and Obi-Wan shared a glance. Now Obi-Wan had the half smile. "Well, Ahsoka I congratulate you on your stealth skills. Whether you are using them on purpose or not."

"What if they really did clone you, Master?"

Anakin winced. "That's unlikely. We found no evidence that I've been cloned. Besides, one of me is enough. For once, Obi-Wan is right." Anakin smirked at Obi-Wan, who was still perturbed at the notion of several copies of Anakin Skywalker.

"I never thought you'd admit..._for once_? Obi-Wan frowned, indignant. "_For once_, I'm right?"

Ahsoka hastened to butt in. "But what would anyone want with these clones? If they aren't supported by the jedi or the separatists, what's the point?"

Obi-Wan frowned, dark memories stirring. "Some will do it just for the sake of science, with no care for the lifeforms involved."

Anakin and Ahsoka shared a glance. "And then there are the sith. Perhaps they meant to turn them. Can you imagine the chaos if clones of jedi were taught in the dark side and turned loose?"

Ahsoka wrinkled her nose. "Eewwwww..."

They took the Twilight, leaving Resolute to deal with the area's separatists. The ship had hopped from the moon to the nearest planet, based on their latest intel. The planet was dark when they landed. The pad to was barely lit. Gloom surrounded them and the silence was deep and brooding.

"Well, this is pleasant." Ahsoka said sarcastically.

"You said it Snips." Anakin's eyes roamed around, he cocked his head. "It's so quiet. No people about. Not even vermin."

Artoo grunted nervously. Anakin translated "No droids either."

Obi-Wan had not said anything. He was alert for the weird buzzing that hit when a clone of himself and Qui-Gon was near.

"I have a bad feeling about this..."

The elder jedi started forward. To the casual observer, Obi-Wan looked calm. His hands swung at his sides, his gaze sweeping ahead. The hanger door slid open. Sure enough, the darkness and quiet outside matched what was within. The street was empty.

Anakin frowned, turned to Ahsoka. "Ahsoka, wait here and keep an eye on the ship."

She opened her mouth to protest.

"Snips, for all we know we may need a hasty exit. They may not have stayed."

Ahsoka scowled, sourly.

Obi-Wan eyed her sympathetically. "We can check the Hanger Master's office, but there is no guarantee that they'll cooperate."

"Artoo can handle that, if we distract them."

Artoo whistled and chirped in agreement.

Obi-Wan paused. "I suggest we split up. I'll go with Artoo to the Hanger Master. You can check the area and the local directory for medical facilities that they might retreat too."

Artoo gave a reluctant chirrup.

"Go on, Artoo. Keep Obi-Wan out of trouble for me."

Kenobi did a double take, as the droid squawked a response. "He's probably asking who will keep YOU out of trouble."


	2. Chapter 2

Anakin went into the hanger master's office first, but sure enough the tall dark human in charge didn't know any ships that matched that description, or so she claimed. He strode back out. "You're on."

Obi-Wan changed before his eyes, slumping a little, looking left and right and sloshing the food stuffs he'd bought on his 'new' old clothes. Anakin, half out toward the nearest kiosk, couldn't resist the urge to look back. His old Master was impressive at this kind of improvisation. Much better than Anakin ever would be. The Jedi Master, who now looked like a panicked down on his luck citizen, charged into the quartermasters office pleading. "You have to help me! They'll kill me! It was just an accident but they don't care! Help me, there must be a ship leaving. Any ship! I'll pay, I'll work!"

Artoo rolled behind, disappearing into the office and heading toward a temporarily overlooked terminal.

Behind the droid, Obi-Wan's voice rose, "I can't check the cantina! They're looking for me there!

Anakin shook his head and went up a ramp and out into the city, pausing on a balcony overlook. He had a decent view from here, considering the city was set on a low mountain hillside. Buildings of durasteele and glass steele towered above further down, but here they were all low. He strode to the nearest kiosk and pulled up the medical facilities, including abandoned ones and factories big enough to have med facilities on the property. He sucked in a breath and marveled at the clear air. Clean and fresh, far from the dust of Tatooine or the pollution of Coruscant. It didn't smell flowery like Naboo, but he had a feeling their were some nice places here for a vacation. If he ever got a vacation, with the war demands yanking him hither and yon across the galaxy.

Back at the ship, Ahsoka abruptly stood up. She'd been sulking, sitting on the ramp. "Come on." She said out loud to herself. "It's just Skyguy being overprotective. It is NOT a judgment of my abilities...I hope." She whispered the last. Her Master was a master himself at creatively interpreting orders. Well, part of keeping an eye on the ship was seeing who was in the vicinity. She'd barely reached the hanger door and looked up and down the quiet street when a grubby rodian youngling shot past.

He was followed by a much larger humanoid, waving a blaster.

"Hey, Stop that!" Ahsoka ran after. Whatever the youngling had done, surely it couldn't be worth shooting a child?

She barreled around a stack of boxes into the neighboring hanger's storage area. Something landed on her and a sharp stab in the neck made her yell. She reached for her lightsaber but something knocked it out of her hand. The room had come into dim focus, but the figures were blurry. Fury shot through her at her mistake. She hadn't been alert for a trap. She was drugged! What had they given her? Her fingers tugged at the beads she wore over her head tails and then she passed out. She reached out with the Force for her lightsaber but both Force and weapon were slick, like she was trying to grab a slug with greasy hands. A foot landed on the hilt. Fear surged, overriding anger at her mistake.

Anakin was just leaving the speeder rental area when he felt it. The sudden alarm, the surge of the Master Padawan bond, which wasn't nearly as strong as his and Kenobi's as yet. But it was there. Anakin slammed the speeder into high speed, cutting into traffic and racing back to the hanger. He had his comlink out calling his apprentice. The lack of answer turned him cold inside. He switched gears and called Obi-Wan.

"Are you done yet?" He fired out.

"We're just leaving. What's wrong?"

"Ahsoka. Something happened and I can't raise her."

"Wait for us! We'll..." Anakin cut him off, leaping from the cockpit. "Snips! Ahsoka!"

The hanger was empty. So was the ship. Furious and frightened, he forced himself to stop, breath, do a quick calming exercise and run a hand through his hair. They had his padawan. Somehow he knew it. Why had he assumed she'd be safe on the ship?

He marched out the hanger door again and used the Force to cast up and down the street. That way. All the way at the end of the block and one over. A group of children, including a rodian, were playing with a new hover ball. They were the only ones on the street. He caught it as it sailed his way. "Have you seen a togruta?" The younglings looked at him warily. "Can we have our ball?" One jumped and grabbed it, trying to wrestle it back. Another kicked him. "We earned it! Didn't steal!"

"Hey, take it easy! " Anakin handed it back and kneeled. "I didn't say you stole it. I'm just looking for a friend." He gauged the reactions, noting that they glanced at each other, then at a girl, finally at a rodian boy. Then they looked away quickly. But the girl was the leader and the boy knew something. "How did you earn your hover ball anyway? That's a nice one."

"Man paid me!" The rodian boy pointed at himself. "Play chase he said. He have toy blaster. Like real though. Scary real."

"Where did you play?"

The rodian pointed up and down the street passed the hanger. Anakin's emotions surged. This had been no game. "Do you know where he went?"

"What in it for me?"

This may not be Tatooine, but these kids...and he knew it was not just the rodian...all looked at him just as he had seen others do on Tatooine. The kids who'd learned to look out for number one. He could've been one of them, if not for his mother. She'd taught him generosity, encouraged him to always help others if he could.

"Oh, Rundo, just tell him, so we can play!" The girl was a bit older and reminded him of his friend Amee back in Mos Espa. She'd be an adult by now...

Rundo sighed. "Follow me." He clutched the hover ball and lead the jedi to a nearby hanger. He led Anakin in and pointed to a stack of crates in the corner, next to the storage room door. "Game end there. I beat him there, I win ball."

"Thanks." Anakin impatient, but grateful, noticed the other kids peering after them around the hanger door. Impulsively, he pulled out some credits and passed them out to the kids. "Here...and if you should, say, keep an eye on the hanger next door and let me know if anyone is sneaking up on my ship, you can earn some more. My name's Anakin."

The kids took to their new job with great enthusiasm and Anakin returned to the storage room. He stared hard, senses alert. No sign of anyone. Lightsaber at the ready, he crept in. He noted the stack of crates high on either side, the deep shadows. This was the perfect place for an ambush. He carefully crept around the boxes. His foot skidded and something crunched. He halted, looked down, frowning. His left hand snatched up the offending objects. Beads. The beads Ahsoka wore around her head tails. Dread turned him cold, but he forced it down. What was he afraid of? There was no body, no blood and no smashed battle droids. Likely, this was who they were chasing. So it was more likely that they took her to clone her. He smiled grimly. Two Ahsoka's would be nearly as unnerving as two Anakin Skywalkers he suspected.

Retracing his steps, he went back out to the hanger. He commed Artoo. "Hanger two bays over on our left. Did you happen to get who it's rented to?"

Artoo beeped excitedly.

"He says..."Obi-Wan paused, apparently to wait for the droid to plug into something with a translator." "...it's Stelbay Electronics. They rent several hangers, including one right near where our quarry landed."

"This hanger has a lock key system on it's storage and it hasn't been forced. I found Ahsoka's head gear..."

"We'll meet you at the Twilight."

Anakin shook his head. He couldn't, wouldn't wait. Who knew what they were doing to his padawan?


	3. Chapter 3

"Of course, he wouldn't wait." Obi-Wan shook his head. "I really should know to save my breath by now."

Artoo let out a sour note that Kenobi suspected was agreement.

Stalking away from the ship, he was suddenly aware a hover ball was hurtling at him. He ducked and was tackled from behind. Rolling and struggling, he noticed Artoo had at least one small creature hanging on and trying to keep him from rolling off. Artoo squealed. He'd sensed no danger. Why?

He managed to roll over and froze. "Oh for...stop that!" One hand caught the stick one youngling waved at him.

"We been paid to guard this ship! Hands up."

"By...who...Anakin!" Obi-Wan realized with a mixture of amusement and dismay.

"He say nothing about you."

Obi-Wan sighed.

"We came together. He's my friend and our other friend is missing. Young togruta? I expect he's too concerned about her to remember to mention us."

The kids looked at each other. A girl eyed him suspiciously. Artoo beeped, head spinning and blathering. Kenobi wished for the gift of understanding binary languages.

"What exactly did he ask you to do?" Kenobi finally demanded.

"Oh." The girl who was spokesman shuffled her feet. "Let him know if anyone came around his ship..."

"So he didn't ask you to pounce?"

"Well, no." She admitted. "But we figured, the better we do the more he'll pay! Besides, we forgot we don't have a comlink to call him with..."

Paid them? Of course he had. Anakin understood hard luck younglings better than anyone.

"Well, I will be sure to tell him you are doing a fine job. But, please, no more pouncing. He really wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"We can take care of ourselves. Always have."

"I'm sure...don't you have families?"

A shy, sad murmur ran through them. Orphans.

"I got an uncle. He don't have time for me much."

"I got a sister. She works at the Dronallee bar. Got no time for me, but she feeds me."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose. "I truly am sorry. I must find Anakin and our friend. Perhaps we'll see you when we return."

"Course you will. We gotta report!" The little rodian saluted and they turned and marched, ran and even in one case, slithered off.

"Oh. Wait." Obi-Wan jerked his head up in realization. The children paused. For all he knew they'd just sell it, but oh well. "Let me get you a spare comlink and then you can report to him right away if you need to. I'll put my contact in here too."

The kids were delighted with a real comlink. Then they bolted off again. Some of them moved off the hover ball, others scurried into the shadows. They would watch, he knew.

"Oh Force help us. Anakin has a point. If we can't help younglings like that, then what are we fighting for?"

Artoo beeped sadly.

"All right then. Let's catch up with Anakin before something catches up with him."

Anakin had toured the Stelbay offices in frustration. No-one knew anything and if he was reading the Force correct, they were not lying. Perhaps he should've waited for Obi-Wan. His master was better with subtly. He parked himself across from the building, electro binoculars scanning the building. He reached into the force, searching for Ahsoka's distinctive signature. Nothing.

'Out Cold' He thought. 'Please be unconscious, not dead.' He would NOT lose his padawan like this. Movement below made him flick a switch. Aah. There was something. That particular model of droid in this particular type of place would have no reason to be outside would it? He zoomed in. It went down the street and stopped at a droid repair facility. He deflated slightly. A perfectly ordinary call...wait. Stelbay had it's own droid repair, he'd seen it. Why go to an external, non-aligned facility owned by some individual instead of the corporation?

It could be nothing. But he had no other leads. He hurried down second level to a ramp, hopped down from a height that would've shattered most people. Landing, he lightly flicked his hood up as he darted out into a pedestrian crosswalk and peered into the shop. No sign of the droid. He walked in casually, perusing the droids with interest. The place smelled of grease and ozone. Protocol, a few astro droids, power droids... His eyes widened and he kept his hand near his lightsaber as he spotted droideka parts nearby. He wondered humorlessly if he'd had anything to do with taking them apart.

"Can I help you?" The blond woman had twists of blue in her hair, a tech unibody outfit covered in grease splotches.

"I'm on the look out for a place to get an astromech R2 Unit tweaked. I was just passing through and spotted this place." There was an open door behind the woman, and he casually moved to get a better look. A hallway passed, probably leading to that glassed in office above.

"We handle most kinds of droids. What do you have in mind?"

"Well, he's a little banged up. We got caught in a crossfire, maybe I'll bring him by later...say, do you do ships too?"

"We have a small vehicle repair next door."

"Get many of those..." Anakin motioned toward the droideka parts while casually motioning with one hand behind her back at a stack of parts right next to where a droid was being worked on. It toppled with multiple crashes, bringing curses and startled cries from the nearby employees.

The woman jumped, startled. "Excuse me, I need to check if anyone is hurt." Her eyes wide, she hurried toward the accident.

"Of course." Anakin was through the hallway in a flash. Sure enough the opposite side had a window to the vehicle bay. A clone trooper in mercenary gear was fiddling with the droid down below. Anakin's heart rate sped up. Their quarry was here. They had seen these clones - Jango clones, just like the army - at the last facility cloning Jedi. All of those were dead, killed in combat with droids. He could only tell them apart by the merc gear. Anakin hurried back to the hall, veered away from the droid repair and into the hanger. He kept one eye on the merc clone and when he was sure which speeder was his, planted a tracker. Then he walked back out and scrambled into his own, positioning for a quick pursuit.

"Hang on, Ahsoka. I'm coming."

Anakin, following the clone, did not find it easy. The other took a deliberately confusing route. At one point, Anakin himself was sure he was being followed by a green speeder and had to go evasive himself. Finally, they pulled up in a minor med facility, closed down. Anakin reached out with the Force yet again, but found no trace of his padawan. Uneasy, he eyed the place. Unconscious? Dead? Enough of this. Time to go in. He'd get the merc to talk somehow.

Anakin drew his saber but didn't light it. He crept down the hallway like a stalking Shanh, every sense alert. So he was ready for the attack. More Droidekas! The droideka's had him in a crossfire, shots blazed orange and red and he deflected. Shots bounced off walls, threatening to nail him with his own richochets. The purple blue shield around the machines kept any from being taken out by their own shot. He backed into a side room, out into another corridor, found more droids there. Where had the clone gone? He could vaguely sense him ahead, but was too busy to analyze the situation. The last room had no exit. Swearing, he spotted a grate to the side, smashed it open with his sword and crawled in. It was small, he was big and he used the Force to call a piece of furniture in front of it. Hopefully the stupid droids wouldn't think to look behind it. He wriggled in deeper and found it finally came out in the next room. It was dark and it took him some time to find the door. Then it was locked. Sighing, he shoved the saber into the metal. It was heavy, thick, and resisted being cut. Grumbling, he felt suddenly tired. So tired. And he was having trouble keeping his sword straight. He sensed the danger too late. His spin collapsed him to the floor as he realized he was locked in a room being gassed. He tried to crawl back to the duct with shaking limbs and noticed it was now blocked. A dart slammed into him. His sword clattered, unlit beside him. His last thought, before losing consciousness, was that whoever was behind this was very good at setting traps.


	4. Chapter 4

"Oh, I have a really bad feeling about this. He isn't answering on the comlink, he left hours ago and I can't sense him in the Force. That's bad. Anakin is rather hard to miss in the Force, unless he's hiding. I wish I thought he was..." Obi-Wan frowned, scanning the street as he stepped out of the office into a downpour. Traffic whizzed by wildly. Music from the office faded behind him as the doors shut. 'And now he's got me talking to the droid.' He thought.

Artoo bleeped heading off down the sleek, damp, walkway.

Obi-Wan swung around. "Where are you going?" He hurried after. 'Not,' he thought to himself, 'that I've any better ideas.' "Wait, you want to be worked on NOW?"

Artoo rolled into the droid repair shop. He tweedled with interest, pausing to look around.

"What did Anakin misalign on you this time?" Obi-Wan followed, struck immediately by the smells of grease and ozone.

Artoo let out a scathing sound. Obi-Wan knew a come back without a translator.

A young blond woman with blue twists in her hair and wearing tech gear appeared, climbing down from a stack of boxes. "Hey you? You belong to that blond...Oh, never mind."

Obi-Wan felt an instant nudge from the Force. This was no coincidence. "Blond? He wouldn't be so tall..." he motioned above him, musing that it made him feel old. Could Anakin, now the six foot tall jedi knight truly be the small boy he'd practically raised?

"Oh, yeah, young guy, handsome, said he might bring his droid in. It was specifically said an R2 unit and there aren't too many around..more R5s and such in this place."

Artoo started rocking excitedly.

"As a matter of fact, this is his droid. We were trying to catch up with him. Do you know which way he went?"

"No. There was a minor crisis...she blushed, worried.

"Yes?"

"I swear, those crates are secure. This facility is safe. Ask any employee or customer...something must've knocked them over. Maybe a walinbea."

Obi-Wan did not inquire what a walinbea was. Anakin had made something fall. Which meant he'd seen something and wanted an unobserved closer look.

Artoo whirred thoughtfully. Obi-Wan noticed the droid heading to the back hallway.

"So, what's wrong with the dro...hey! You can't go back there! Employees only."

"Well that's one thing! My apologies. He does tend to wander off. I'll get him and we'll go."

"We might be able to fix him, but if it's software..."

"I fear it's an eccentricity picked up from his owner." Kenobi mused that if Anakin had a droid for a blood brother, it would be Artoo. "It would just resurface. Thank you for your help." Obi-Wan hustled to the door, noticing with alarm the trandoshan with ion disruptor in the upper window. "No, please, I'll get him!" He fairly leaped between droid and weapon. That's all he needed, to lose the droid too. "Is it really THAT big a crime for a droid to wander in?"

The woman hurried after him. "No, sorry. Gulugg works as a guard in the next door vehicle repair. He gets overzealous. Can't really blame him. Half the war is fought by droids, and they aren't the brightest bunch out there. They don't just hit Republic troops, even if they mean too. They'd do better with R2 Unit brains.

Obi-Wan shuddered at the thought and gave the droid a swift nudge. "Come along Artoo. Nothing here for us."

Artoo chirped reluctantly, clearly giving in more due to the ion blaster pointed at him than Kenobi's encouragement.

"Say, do you want a restraining bolt? I can give you a used one, cheap. Take the price out of any repair we do later."

"No thank you. I don't think his owner would go for that." As soon as they were outside, Kenobi sighed. "Not that it's an entirely bad idea."

Artoo rocked and let out an electronic snort. If he'd had eyebrows, he'd be glaring at him. Obi-Wan mused. Anyone trying to put a restraining bolt on this droid would be in for a wrestling match.

"Let's check out the vehicle repair bay."

They walked around the corner and Obi-Wan pulled his hood up. They peered the medium sized lot, full of speeders. Many of the were of the same make and model and bore the Stenbay logo. An idea hit, but before he could voice it Artoo wailed excitedly. "What?" The general spun around, but saw nothing. Artoo chirped wildly, snatched the datapad off his belt with his grabber, and plugged in. A tracking signal appeared, coming from the vehicle bay.

"He was tracking one of them?" Kenobi's eyes narrowed. He strode toward the bay like he owned it. "Watch out for that ion blaster," he said aside to the droid. "You check it out, I'll distract." The guard at this end was a dark skinned human male with heavy rifle. "Excuse me, sir, my speeder broke down a block from here. Perhaps you'd sell me a new shifter?"

Artoo again was in motion, zeroing in on the vehicle. He hovered over it with his jets, lowered awkwardly onto the seat and plugged into the vehicles computer.

"You'd have to talk to Garlin. And he's out to lunch." The guard glanced around, leaned close and whispered. "You may as well let 'em fix it though. He won't charge less for just the part than for the whole shebang. Don't get me wrong, he pays good, but...well..."

"I understand. Better working for him than needing his services. Or is he just busy with a company? There seem to be rather a lot of company vehicles. I thought this was a private repair." Obi-Wan felt a jolt raise the hair on his arms. Was that a clone trooper? Without the gear?

"It is, but he'll hire out."

"Thank you. I'll check around. If I can't find the part cheaper, I'll try somewhere else." Obi-Wan moved out, watching Artoo Detoo's approach out of his peripheral vision. When had he started to worry so much about a droid? Maybe when he realized Anakin would risk his life and the lives of others to save it. He didn't relax until they were well clear of the bay, with it's mysterious clone and the trandoshan with ion blaster.

"Well?"

Artoo plugged into the pad, rocking agitatedly. The on board data suggested where the vehicle had been and the route it took to get there.

"All right. Let's see what turns up."

It seemed a long while before Obi-Wan pulled over, and it was getting dark. It rained sporadically. But his vision was acute enough to recognize the speeder the younglings had said Anakin was driving. He hopped out, checked the engines. Artoo hummed nervously. The droid knew as well that the engines were cold. Cautiously, Obi-Wan circled the building, reaching out with the force.

He finally went in. Artoo grumbled beside him. Kenobi had the sudden suspicion the droid was saying, 'I have a bad feeling about this."

"Oh dear." Blaster marks and shattered droids were everywhere. They moved from room to room until they found a terminal Artoo could plug into. Artoo's whistling became hysterical. The security feeds came alive with holos from hours ago. Anakin in battle, fleeing...and in a room collapsing. A man came in afterward, followed by droids. They cuffed him and hauled him out.

"What happened? Replay it...I didn't see him get hit."

"Artoo squealed and replayed, poked with his grasper him to get his attention. He glanced at the message screen. "Sealed gas chamber for storage."

"Wonderful. Now we have two people to rescue as well as jedi clones and their creator to find." A sick feeling welled in his stomach as he remembered his banter with Anakin when they'd first discovered the jedi cloning experiments. Shocking to discover his own and Qui-Gon as clones. What if they planned on cloning Anakin? Dread filled him. The jedi clones thus far had all been insane. All of Anakin's power combined with insanity was a terrifying thought. And what would they do to him and Ahsoka once they had the samples.

Artoo moaned.

Obi-Wan glanced at the droid, acknowledged that of all the mysteries of the Force the mystery of Anakin's relationship with Artoo was a huge one. "We will find them, Artoo."

Anakin woke up with a hangover like he'd drunk way to much corellian whiskey. A weird buzzing feeling made him shift position. Or rather, he tried to. "Oh, not good." He blinked fully awake, realized the world was revolving around him and a force field was skittering over him.

"Master?"

"Ahsoka?" He blinked hard, finally his vision cleared and after a moment his padawan revolved into, and then out of, view again. Oh. This was making him sick. Good thing he'd not eaten lately.

"I'm so sorry..." she started.

"I'm not in a position to blame you, Snips. You okay?"

"Yes, master, just..."

"Ah. You're awake and how touching a reunion. Have no fear. We simply wish to do a few...experiments." The distorted voice echoed off the walls and the spinning field eerily.

"Who is we?" Anakin demanded.

"And who do you work for?" Ahsoka added, voice tinged with anger.

"Now don't worry. We already took samples when you were asleep. If we can think of a way to make you, more, ah, comfortable, we will. Until then..."

"If it's me you are after, let her go."

"Oh no, she is useful, although we are mainly looking at humans... that does give me an idea though."

Ahsoka screamed suddenly and Anakin jerked, furiously struggling. All he got was a worse jolt from the force field. The girl slumped and droids took her down, removing her from the room. Anakin strained ferociously in spite of the pain, until a jolt nearly knocked him unconscious again.

"Now here is how this will work. We are going to keep you apart, and if you cooperate, well, nothing will happen to her. We will need more samples you see."

Anakin's fury rose. "If you hurt her..." he checked his less than jedi impulse to threaten vengeance. "The whole jedi order will be on your trail."

"I do believe they are busy right now. War and all. But this is easier for you too, if you think about it. We won't need to give you a shock every time we need a sample. I'm sure you know with such a high midichlorian count you make an impressive prize. Just think what we could do if we cloned you! Why, never mind Dooku and the Confederacy. A few of you under our control...well, it's an amazing idea. Thank you so much for coming."

Anakin's insides heaved. The confinement prevented anything much from going anywhere, and he hadn't eaten. But the idea of an army of clones of him...all slaves, filled him with a sudden rare terror. This was a horror forged from his deepest nightmares. A deep seated fear of helplessness rose in him, one he had thought he'd conquered long ago. His fists clenched. Fury rose at the people doing this to him, and that frightened him as much as his situation. Suddenly, he wished he'd stayed unconscious.


	5. Chapter 5

*** Thanks for the kind reviews. And the adventure continues!***

Anakin had been spinning until he was dizzy, reminding himself firmly his own former Master would find him. It did not comfort him to think that may have been exactly what Ahsoka had been thinking. Some help he had been. He swung emotionally between boredom, frustration, and outrage. He had nothing to do to distract him from his wildly swinging emotions or the thoughts rattling around in his head. Slaves. An army of slaves. An army of slaves of himself. Jango Fett had chosen to be paid for the army. Apparently an army of copies of himself wouldn't be a big deal to him, even if they were working for the Jedi.

Anakin's thoughts whirled even faster than the rest of him. The clone army were not all the same, however created. They had individual quirks. He knew his troops names, as well as their numbers and he cared when one went down. They were not interchangeable. So what would an army of himself be like? He tried to find it humorous. Focus on the positive, as Obi-Wan used to insist. At least they wouldn't have been hutt slaves off a sandball, who watched their mother die a painful before their eyes. Unfortunately, they'd be someone else's slaves, and somehow having no mother in the first place didn't strike him as a great alternative, for all the jedi's usual preference for no attachments.

The voice boomed, startling him from his thoughts. "As I suspected, we do need some more samples. Remember, your young friend is depending on your cooperation." A holo appeared, he could only see it fuzzily through the revolving force field as it slowed. Ahsoka, and it appeared she was in a charged restraint cage. She even had a slave collar on. They could kill her at any time.

The field released him and he crashed to the ground. The world kept spinning. He gagged. Forced himself to stay still until his body quit revolting. He reached to the Force, felt Ahsoka's fear and outrage that matched his own. The buzzing feeling was there as well.

Casting pride aside he reached into the Force, as a pair of droids he'd never seen the like of -which was unusual - hauled him up.

'Obi-Wan!' He yelled with his mind.

Obi-Wan was scanning the star filled skies while Artoo kept a sharp lookout from his perch in the speeder's luggage slot. They were back to following the trail the strange mercenary clone trooper had taken that day. They were almost out of the city. Were their even any buildings this far out? Rocky outcroppings and stands of trees here and there were all he could see. Anakin's mental connection surged. Outraged, indignant..."Anakin" He started, nearly veered off the road. Definitely going in the right direction. He could sense his friend trying to warn him...Artoo whistled in the back seat, clearly looking for the cause of his outburst.

"I sense him Artoo. I believe he's found what he's looking for and he is in trouble."

Artoo blatted knowingly. "Again." Obi-Wan guessed at the translation.

The droids were big, bulky and shaped like more muscular battle droids. However, they also had a stunner attachment, and a syringe attachment. They marched him to a room that looked reassuringly like a standard medical bay. Not so reassuring was the window at the end. As they shoved him into a laid back seat and strapped him in, he tried to get a view out the window. More cloning tanks. Glancing around the room, the nasty buzzing got worse. His eyes went to the infant size glass cylinder in the corner. An infant floated within. Nausea hit him again as he reached out with the Force and it buzzed and lashed back at him. It was a clone of him!

"Look, whoever you are, this is a REALLY bad idea. I'm loads of trouble. Even as a kid. Terrible at following orders. Ask anyone. I'd make a terrible army."

The voice either wasn't listening or chose not to answer. What were those gadgets they were moving alongside his head? And here came a needle with a tube attached. A holo popped to life in front of him...maybe they had been listening. In it he could see Ahsoka squirming in discomfort as the charges hit her. Not strong enough to damage, just to warn her...and him. He could feel her in the Force.

'Don't cooperate, Master!' Her teeth bared.

Why not? They already had the tissue samples. What else did they want? His eyes rolled to the needle as the droid positioned and stuck him. He ground his teeth. Something was thumping loudly behind him. One of the droids moved over to a sealed medical unit. He suddenly realized someone was inside. Another check with the Force, hard now, this close to the clone...wait...was that?

The medical unit slammed open violently. The droid hit whoever was inside with a stunner and a half scream made him twitch. He could get out of the restraints, but what about Ahsoka? He shifted just enough as the droid was half slammed back and the other droid near him moved to intercept the white clad figure with ginger colored hair trying to rise. Another Obi-Wan, this one even younger than the other they'd found. The boy was angry, but Anakin didn't sense the insanity of the others. At least, he was acting the way Anakin pretty much was inclined to act right now. He ducked and dodged one hand slamming another unit. The other started to open. The boy kept dodging until one got behind him and grabbed him with one arm. Clanking in the hall announced more of them. The boy squirmed evading the needle as another boy, also in white and with light hair, shot out of the other chamber. Another Qui-Gon. He recognized him from their first discovery of jedi clones. He was intercepted by the droid that barreled through the door.

Enough. He couldn't watch them slaughtered or hurt. Anakin sent out a warning to Ahsoka. He used the Force to shove the droid holding young Obi-Wan and then to pop the restraints...it took a few seconds, it was a complicated lock and his focus was still fuzzy with drugs.

He lunged up, kicked and hit, using his prosthetic, which hurt a lot less than punching droid metal with the good one. There was a lull at last. The two kids eyed him warily. A familiar determination showed in their eyes. And they squared off, clearly ready to fight him too.

"I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to find my padawan and stop whoever is...doing this." He motioned around, looking for his lightsaber as he did so. Of course, it would be too easy for it to be right there. "I don't suppose you've seen my weapon."

"We never see anything. Just needles. They say that's what we were created for. We don't agree." Young Qui-Gon stated firmly.

Anakin grinned. "I don't either." He cocked his head. "Did you...coordinate this? How?"

"We...somehow...we just felt each other..." The other boy was doubtful. We don't know how or why. Like a voice in our heads."

Anakin was reminded suddenly of what it was like to not know of the Force as the Force. Just something that made you different.

"Let's find my padawan and get out of here."

"And take down our creators. They created us just to suffer. They have to pay." The boy rubbed his head.

It was odd to hear payback preached by a young Kenobi. Anakin thought. "Headache?"

"Yes."

Skywalker realized his had faded and looked at the glass cylinder. It was shattered, the fetus on the floor. A droid had crashed into it. Should he feel relieved that the science experiment was ended? Or dismayed at the loss of life. It had been a baby...like him. Albeit a hastily grown one.

Young Qui-Gon went to it and kneeled sadly. "It's dead." He picked it up carefully, laid it gently on a cot and put a blanket over it. Anakin was touched. He turned back to young Kenobi.

"I think it's because your clones and the original or all the copies are nearby. Obi-Wan is looking for me...what do they call you? By the names of who they cloned or what?"

Young Qui-Gon replied, "I'm specimen two and he is speciman eight. We were the first clones, and the templates of all the others. We got that by listening." He frowned.

Anakin winced. "Not even a name? We'll have to do better."

"Who's Obi-Wan?"

Anakin blinked. "He's.." he looked at eight, wondered about all the specimens in between, "the one you were cloned from. He's my friend and mentor. He smiled as he imagined Obi-Wan's face when he found the clone. "I think being cloned is why these weird headaches are coming from, some...faulty connection between you and the original."

"What about me?" The other boy looked uncertain and uneasy. They clearly knew they were clones, but to meet the originals seemed to make them uneasy.

"His name was Qui-Gon Jinn."

"Was?"

"He...died some years ago. I've no idea how they got a tissue sample."

"They were going to clone you too."

"So I gathered." He motioned to the fetus. "I know that was a clone of me. They must've forced the aging process, I haven't been held more than a few hours."

Anakin poked his head out in the corridor. "We have to hurry. They threatened to hurt Ahsoka if I don't cooperate."

"Say, any idea what those things were?" He motioned back to the odd machinery they'd positioned alongside his head.

"They say they read your mind. They can wipe your memories and reprogram you."

Anakin frowned at this as he cautiously crept out into the corridor. He most definitely did not want anyone - even Obi-Wan Kenobi - reading his mind. As far as he knew, such a machine didn't truly exist. He'd half a mind to order the boys to wait for him in the room. Then he remembered he'd ordered Ahsoka to do exactly that and looked how that worked out. Still, the thought of him, in charge of a young Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan made him smile slightly.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing."

He jerked suddenly as a voice rang out in the corridor.

"I guess your young padawan wasn't so important to you after all."

His hand reached uselessly for the lightsaber, which wasn't on his belt. 'Ahsoka'! And he felt her pain surge.


	6. Chapter 6

Sneaking into the facility where Anakin was held was tricky. There was dry, clear terrain, except for a few natural rock columns. The trees had unfortunately ended some ways back, the master and droid had left the speeder hidden there. As a jedi, Obi-Wan could easily get past most guards without notice. However Artoo was rather hard to hide. Artoo bleeped uncertainly as Obi-Wan dirtied up the droid's exterior with grease and dirt. "Look at it this way, I'm quite sure that Anakin will give you a thorough cleaning afterward."

The droid turned his dome and blathered at him. The translation lit up the datapad. "Shouldn't the one who made me wear this filth clean it off?"

Kenobi sighed. "I'm sure he would do a much better job. For now, it's all we have for camouflage."

Artoo approached rumbling over rough but cleared terrain. Obi-Wan, used the Force to make himself virtually invisible. Two guard droids wheeled back and forth by the main entrance. A clone trooper - another merc type - appeared and disappeared inside the door. Obi-Wan timed his approach between the droids rolling back and forth and used the Force to make a clatter in the wrong direction. The two rolled and in that direction. Obi-Wan slipped in and subdued the guard, relieved to note there was only the one. "Ah. Here." He tapped a few commands, sending the guard droids to investigate movement in the other direction. His eyes lit on a weapons closet and he opened the door. "Aha." He came out with both Anakin and Ahsoka's lightsabers.

Artoo rolled in the door, plugged hastily into the computer. He squealed in alarm, rerouting a speaker and a voice boomed out.

"I guess your padawan wasn't so important after all."

"Can you find them on the ..."

The holos displays lit up.

"...the security cams. Oh no!"

Ahsoka was struggling violently and Kenobi could feel her pain surge in the Force. He could also feel Anakin's building fury, along with the odd buzz he'd felt before. He quickly located him in the display. Two boys...a clone of himself and Qui-Gon...so strange, them being the same age...were alongside. They crouched, looked up with snarls and clenched fists. But they weren't lashing out. They couldn't see anyone to aim at.

"Perhaps if you help me subdue the our young templates and return for testing, I'll stop hurting her."

The boys looked at Anakin, wary. Anakin bolted away, startling the boys, who followed after glancing at each other. Obi-Wan spun away. "Can we get to Ahsoka?"

Artoo squealed and scooted down a corridor, hopefully to Ahsoka. Yes, definitely. Her pain reverberated in the Force. He felt her struggling to calm herself even from here. Anakin should be proud of her.

"Artoo wait!" The droid hurried around a corner, squealed and zoomed back toward him. Obi-Wan's lightsaber flared blue and he jumped out, deflecting the red blaster bolts. The three merc clones fell, hit by their own shots. He deactivated his weapon. It had all happened in seconds. Artoo peered around the corner, then scooted back out and rolled quickly down a ramp. They hurried down a corridor with multiple doors. The concerned jedi master checked for living presences, but if there were droids in there he wouldn't know. He could easily end up in a trap, weapons before and behind. But he hurried after Artoo, nonetheless. It was almost as bad as trying to keep up with former padawan. Worse perhaps. At least he could feel Anakin in the force.

Artoo stopped beside a locked door, plugged in, tweeted and rotated his dome, looking at him. From what Kenobi had seen in the holo, the young padawan probably was being guarded by droids. Lightsaber ready, he nodded at the droid. The door opened and he rolled through the door. Two droidekas...it would be droidekas of course, instead of the easier battle droids...turned toward him. Ahsoka kept jerking, sparks slamming into her through the field. Lightsaber flashing, Kenobi kept on the move, trying to think of a way to defeat them. He reached out with the force, slammed his hand forward and the droids crashed into each other against the wall with the gesture. But they popped up almost instantly.

Artoo Detoo zoomed past, hitting the controls and shutting down the electricity. Ahsoka was snarling. "Artoo. Get me down!"

The droid complied immediately. The girl hit the ground on her feet, hand reached out and her saber leaped off Kenobi's belt. He paused long enough to hit the slave collar with his own blade. Fortunately, it popped loose instantly as her own green blade flared and she charged the droids, than bolted out the door. Obi-Wan followed. She'd vanished when he hit the corridor. He had no time to look, they were rolling too close behind him. He spun as the nearer one unfolded, slashing before it's shield could go all the way up. The other one was still in mid roll when Ahsoka's green blade slashed it from one of the side rooms.

"For a moment there I thought I'd lost you again."

"Sorry Master Kenobi. I had to deal with a few clankers in the other room." She scowled, spinning back up the corridor. "Now. Let's find the sleemo behind this place."

"Did you backtrack the signal from our broadcaster?" He asked Artoo.

The droid squealed and flashed a holo schematic of the place.

They backtracked up the corridor, running full tilt. In the distance, blaster fire was getting closer, along with an odd hiss - hiss - hiss sound. They came into a corridor where Anakin spun and kicked, battling the droids and merc troops. He and the boys were far outnumbered. Whatever Anakin died, the boys tried to imitate. They seemed in tune with each other and with him and had some success. The odd hiss, hiss sound was coming from some odd, large droids firing darts.

With a yell, Ahsoka leaped into battle. Without missing a stride, Anakin called his own lightsaber to hand from Kenobi's belt and started junking droids. One boy, Qui-Gon, somersaulted, grabbed one odd droid, swung it around and used it's own weapons to dart the soldiers. The other boy landed mid leap. His eyes were suddenly huge, blue, and staring at Obi-Wan. He stared back for a fraction of a second. Then he joined the battle discipline and habit overriding the uncomfortable buzzing.

Then the battle was over. They were breathing a bit hard. "I'd ask for introductions. But I already know who you are." Obi-Wan said.

"I'm you! I mean..." the boy looked confused. "If you're Obi-Wan," he said, "he said I'm you..." The boy waved at Anakin.

"Not to be rude. But let's sort it out after we catch these guys." Anakin said fiercely. He looked around. "Ahsoka?"

Her footsteps thudded up the corridor, clearly not waiting for them.

Anakin hurried after her. Obi-Wan hesitated when the boys followed but Anakin murmured sidelong, "He's you. Would you miss out on this?"

"Ah. No. Good point. He's every reason to be angry and no training to tell him how to deal with it."


	7. Chapter 7

They caught up to Ahsoka and were hurtling up the corridors now, upstairs, ducking through elevators until they came to a closed and locked door in a central area. They had to cut through.

"Stang!" Anakin was furious to find it empty, except for a shot protocol droid on the floor. "We missed him."

Artoo beeped and the damaged droid chattered oddly. Then it spoke. "But Master Zono, shouldn't I come with you to the ship?"

"Ship! Landing pad!" Ahsoka was already off and running, the two boys right behind.

"Wait! Ahsoka!" Anakin yelled after, running hard to catch up. "What are you smirking about?" He demanded without missing stride, one eye on Kenobi. Their boots clattered in the durasteel corridor.

"Just thinking of all the times I yelled, Anakin! Wait! and got the same response..."

"Ha! Ha!..."

"I called in our clones right before we came in after you."

"Did you warn them they'd be facing...brothers in merc armor?"

"I did. I didn't have time for sugarcoating."

Kenobi's comlink crackled, startling them. "General Kenobi. We've engaged. There appear to be jedi with them. No lightsabers, but they are using the Force."

Leaping out on the landing pad after Ahsoka and the kids, they had their lightsabers engaged. It was a confused, complicated fight. On their side, clone troopers, three jedi, and two cloned jedi kids. On the other, battle droids, more clones dressed as mercenaries, and other jedi clone kids.

"We can't let them take off."

Anakin's lightsaber fired up and he leaped at the ship. He slammed the blade into it repeatedly, racing around and aiming at critical points. "I hate to do this. It's a sweet starship."

A grim faced clone jedi, a young man with long hair, rushed at him, slamming a hard kick into his gut.

"Ow!" Anakin fell back and Force pushed him away, reluctant to engage. The young Qui-Gon landed on his opponent, allowing Anakin to return to his sabotage. He smiled in the midst as he saw Obi-Wan and his young clone fighting side by side, like a pair of brothers.

Blaster fire rang out around him, his eyes landed on another young clone, felled by blaster fire. He looked familiar, but he couldn't place him. There was another nearby, a young woman. Where in the Force had they gotten the tissue samples for these clones anyway? And why were they defending the cloner? These ones were not insane, like the others they'd found.

Ahsoka was charging up the ramp to the ship. She held a cowering kaminoan, along with a techno union scientist at saber point.

"Well done, Snips."

The girl was glaring fiercely, knuckles tight, eyes narrowed and a feral snarl on her face. "What they did...would drive ANYONE insane. It's a wonder they're not all like that."

Once the renegade scientists were in custody, it was easy to convince them to order the clones to stop fighting. They rounded up the surviving combatants and treated their wounds..

"Why were they fighting for the scientists who mistreated them?" Ahsoka planted her hands on her hips. She surveyed the jedi clones, trying to identify jedi she'd only seen full grown in these young ones.

The Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan clones looked at each other. "They were programmed with a machine. It was supposed to make them obey..." the young Jinn clone explained.

"...but we...could feel each other. And we helped each other. We helped each other remember what they'd done to us." The Obi clone scowled.

The original Obi-Wan winced at the force of the two boys anger. He massaged his forehead. "They gathered samples from wherever they could find them." He observed studying the datapad "Jorus C'baoth is one of them. It makes no sense."

"I knew I knew that kid..." Anakin's eyes widened. "But how could they possibly get his DNA? He left...years ago. I was just a kid. Surely they weren't planning it this long."

"Qui-Gon and Noor Rya...they got his from Jenna Zan Arbor. They've definitely been in touch. Mine...well, it's definitely from an old mission. That's it. Old missions, where jedi got injured and treated by non jedi healers and medics."

"I'm no medic, but I'm seeing some disturbing things in this science. Some of the samples they used had to be very old and degraded. We'd better get them to the healing wing. I want our medics to check these clones out. I don't believe you can create a stable, genetically viable clone from such samples, but I'm no expert."

"I hope you're wrong. What do we do with them after that?" Anakin smiled. "You could try training yourself...he...you seem to have a whole new way of looking up to yourself."

Kenobi snorted and cast a glare at him. He sat back, stroking his cinnamon beard. "I don't think that's allowed." He rolled his eyes at the thought. "It gives a whole new meaning to attachment..." He looked up sharply. "Let's pick up the Twilight."

Anakin sighed as they approached the freighter. They'd left the clones with the troopers and Ahsoka. "There's the ship."

"And your friends." Obi-Wan observed.

The hard luck younglings swarmed over Skywalker as he jumped out of the landspeeder. The girl and rodian saluted eagerly and rattled off, in detail, every being who'd passed the hanger. Anakin smiled slightly, but it was strained. "You did a great job." He handed out credits, more, Kenobi knew, than many had ever seen. They squealed eagerly and some ran off straight away, some hugged him and some just shook his hand and thanked him before strolling away.

"Isn't there anything more we can do for them? Anakin wondered aloud, staring after the departing younglings.

"Besides hire them to accost anyone who approaches the ship?" Obi-Wan queried.

"I didn't..."

"They took to their hiring with a bit too much enthusiasm. And you failed to tell them you weren't traveling alone."

"Oh, sorry." A half smile danced on Anakin's face as he ducked around a speeder truck parked next to the door. "Did you have to fight off hoards of angry kids? Must've been a tough battle."

"No, just awkward."

"You didn't answer. Is there anyway to help?"

"The galaxy is full of war orphans at the moment and this planet is one on which they are dumped. And yes, it's wrong and horrible. I'd happily correct it if I had an idea how."

"Now let's get back to the temple, and get some answers!"


	8. Chapter 8

**~Sorry this took longer than usual. Thanks for your patience. I'm quite certain the Sith invented Migraine headaches...~**

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They rendezvoused with the Resolute and made haste to return to the jedi temple. Anakin, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan sat waiting in the healer's wing while the jedi clones were carefully studied. Kenobi's own clone and the young Jinn had flat refused to go separately. They had little reason to trust anyone but each other, although they were beginning to. The news from the healer's ward came quickly and it was devastating.

"Dying? All of them?" Anakin gasped.

"Within weeks.."

Obi-Wan just sat, head in his hands.

"Apparently they are not all created from complete DNA samples, or not undamaged samples. Then there is the forced speed of the cloning on some...the insane ones especially. The others...your clone for instance...Winna Da Yuni motioned to Obi-Wan, were...used heavily...Grown at normal speed, but repeatedly had samples taken. They tried altering DNA, transplants...And it appears they attempted to...control...the insanity of the hasty cloning by draining the blood and replacing it with non jedi blood. Less midichlorians.

Obi-Wan looked up. He noticed Anakin was quite green by now.

"Why me then? They were bragging about how my high count was such a prize."

"Apparently, they also tried reinfusing the clones with the higher midichlorian blood after they'd reached a certain maturity. It may have helped some live a bit longer, but it can't compensate for the other problems.

"This is sick..." Anakin growled. He clenched his fists. He'd like to tie the traitorous kaminoan's neck in a knot.

"All we can do is make them comfortable. Help them to...live to the fullest, in the little time they have left."

Yoda walked in then, unnoticed in their distress. "Bad the news is, yes." His green lips were turned down and his ears drooped. "A cruel fate this is."

Anakin looked at him. "Just for the jedi ones?" He wondered. "We need the clone army, but..." he looked uncomfortable.

Yoda nodded. "Questions we have had from the beginning about the army. About the morality. Forced to act we were, and unprepared we were. Answer these questions now, we cannot."

"What about how they got the DNA for the clones? They got jedi and clone DNA both, but they didn't get jedi DNA from the kaminoan."

"And according to the data, they got Qui-Gon's DNA from Jenna Zan Arbor. Last we know of, she works for the separatists."

Yoda closed his eyes grimly. He was silent, head bowed as if meditating. "Found we did, a holo in the files of a hooded figure. But to damaged it was to identify it. Fear I do, the Sith Master was behind this.

Ahsoka winced then grinned. "But that's good isn't it? If they are in touch with the Sith Master, they must know more about him?"

Obi-Wan and Anakin glanced at each other, back at the sour faced green Master.

Finally he sighed. "Dead they are."

"What?" They chorused.

"Found dead in their cells they were. Broken was the Kaminoan's neck. Strangled. As was the techno union scientist."

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin.

He frowned and held his hands up. "Hey. Why are you looking at me? Just because I felt they deserved it doesn't mean I'd do it! We needed them to talk!"

"And it would be wrong."

"That too."

"Got to them, the Sith Lord did. Agent's in our own ranks. Dangerous this is."

"Can we help?" The two boys peered into the room and Yoda face lifted into a smile as he glanced at them. "Help you can, by living in the present moment."

"That sounds very like Qui-Gon." Obi-Wan looked startled.

"Yes." Yoda aknowledged.

Anakin was so busy pacing and thinking about war orphans and dying clones, he didn't notice his wife enter.

"Sorry, I'm late, Ani. I thought that session would never end...are you all right?" Padme's eyes widened as he started when she laid her hand on his shoulder. "I've never been able to startle you..."

Anakin sighed. He wanted to share with her. But there were things he didn't want to talk about. Things he didn't know how to talk about. Why was it easier to share with her what happened with the tusken raiders, than what happened on the battle field? "I met these younglings on that last mission. No home, no hope. They'll do anything for money. I paid them to watch the ship. But what kind of life will they have? Someone is bound to end up taking advantage of them."

He sat on the couch with a groan, head in his hands. "I want to help but how? And then there are the clones...the jedi clones...they're dying!"

Padme sat quietly. "There are programs to help orphans like that Ani."

"Not there. And the programs are overwhelmed."

"I know. I know their overwhelmed. But tell me where they are Ani. We can't save anyone. But maybe I can help save the ones who helped you."

He smiled wanly and looked up at her.

"...And what Jedi Clone kids?" The rest of his concern finally registered.

His head dropped again. "We found clones of the jedi. Some science experiment, probably instigated by the Sith Lord we're looking for. We finally tracked them down and took down the scientists. They ended up murdered in their cells. We don't know by who. And on top of that, we find out that all the clones are dying. They were just an experiment to them. Not people. But they are people, Padme, ones we know... just the youngling versions that didn't have a temple...or a mom."

"Who Ani?" They didn't...clone you?"

He laughed and smiled for the first time that evening. "That is Obi-Wan's worst nightmare! They tried. I was captive for a few hours. They had a...a fetus. But it was killed by accident when I and some of the clones escaped. They had clones of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon and some others."

"And...these clones are dying? "Even the jedi healers say they can't do anything?" She rubbed his shoulders.

"No. Yet another successful mission and yet we didn't manage to save anyone!"

"Oh Anakin. We can save those orphans. We can. And those clones...you told me once about that insane criminal professor, Murk Lundi. Your first mission involving a Sith artifact, when you were a boy remember?"

"...Yeah..."

"And no matter what he'd done or planned, you felt he shouldn't die in a cage, so you took him out. Well, those jedi clones are innocent. They harmed no-one. And you freed them. They can live free, in whatever time they have left. And we can make sure it's a happy time, in spite of the war."

"How?"

"Well, what would make you happy if you were a kid and dying?"

"You!" He grinned, his light blue eyes, finally coming alive.

She slapped his arm, grinning back. "When you were a kid!"

"You were my angel even when I was a kid."

"Ani!"

"Okay...well, I don't know. Working on my hobbies, flying...Naboo..."

"Naboo?"

"Well, I told you, it's so beautiful, coming from a desert, with all the grass and water and flowers..."

"Hmm. Yes, you're making me homesick..." She laid his head on his shoulder.

Anakin stiffened. "That's it. But how can we give it to them?"

"What?"

"A home, Padme. Mom was always my home. In spite of what the jedi think, the temple isn't my home, you are. Mom was. Family is. How can we give them family?"

She pondered. "I have an idea. But will the jedi go for it? These are jedi clones after all."

"It can't hurt to ask. I don't get the idea the Council is sure either, and there isn't really time to debate it."

She nodded.

Kix Kenobi, and Blaze Jinn recieved their 'names' from Ahsoka and they stuck. Kix because the young Kenobi kept trying to get the hang of a force kick and Blaze because Jinn was so on fire during the battle.

"I guess this is goodbye." The two were the last to board the transport.

"Not quite." Anakin grinned. "We're escorting you all the way to Naboo"

The two looked startled. "Really?" Kix looked stunned.

"You think we're in danger?" Blaze was suspicious.

"The entire galaxy is in danger. You should be fine once you're on the ground." Obi-Wan observed. 'I hope.' He didn't add aloud.

"But you won't be landing with us."

Anakin frowned. "Probably not. We won't have time. Believe me, we'd love too."

The two hesitated, then shook hands. Suddenly Kix hugged Obi-Wan. The master blinked, startled, battling the violent buzzing in the Force at the head. He broke off and the two boys hurried up the ramp, waving.

Enjoying a rare moment with his wife, Anakin curled his arm around her.

"I wonder what it would've been like." She was staring into space.

"What?"

"The fetus. Your clone."

"I tried to warn them, one of me is plenty of trouble as it is."

"But it was you, or, well, like your twin or your son or something..." Her brown eyes regarded him and she looked uncertain. "How did you feel, when you saw it?"

"I was mainly feeling uncomfortable because of that weird buzzing in the Force. It got worse around the clones. It's not just me, Obi-Wan felt it with his too."

"That's not what I mean."

He sighed. "I know. I wasn't sure how to feel. I felt bad it died, but I didn't have much time to feel connected to it." He smiled, warmly at her. "I'd rather imagine a baby that's both of us then the one that's lost. I think of what we lose way too often as it is."

"I have something to tell you."

"What?"

My family took Kix and Blaze."

"Huh?"

"Well, you might say that Obi-Wan is a member of the family in more ways than one. Sola took him with Roo and Pooja"

Anakin blinked, smiled, and put his hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh. "I wish we could tell him that. It would be ... interesting to see his reaction. Won't it get hurt your family, to get close to dying kids though? And Roo and Pooja, won't it be hard to explain?"

"Love has to be brave. It takes courage to spread love, knowing it might be rejected. And...I know you don't like to think about it Ani, but people do die, even in a peaceful galaxy, they'd still die of old age."

"You're right. I don't want to think about it."

"Then think about this. We've found homes and apprenticeships for those orphans too. It may not solve the problem of every orphan in the galaxy, but we've made a difference to them."

"That's great!" He leaned in and gave her a kiss, which started as a peck but didn't stop.

She reluctantly shoved him back. "And Ani?"

"Hm, yeah?" His face was buried in her hair.

"One day, you are going to take down that Sith who is behind this. I believe in you."

* The End *

**Notes:**

Mentioned from the Expanded Universe:

Murk Lundi was featured in Jedi Apprentice: Special Edition 2 by Jude Watson.

The buzzing in the Force created by the Clones is from the Thrawn trilogy by Timothy Zahn

Jorus C'baoth (the original) encountered Anakin in Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn


End file.
